The Won Over

Some indie bands are hampered by being too maudlin. An unfortunate side effect of the genre, there’s an all too easy tendency to be down for being down’s sake. Very rarely does this frowny, self-absorbedness actually lend itself to the music’s advantage. New indie rock outfit The Won Over might just have struck the right balance with their brand new single ‘Happy Birthday’.

Not wanting to jinx this new-found emergence, the seemingly downtrodden ambiance of the single does border on the manic at times. Yet it’s vocalist Paul Byrne’s sullen singing that plays the biggest part in selling the whole sound, and in turn, the band.

Much like his name sake David of Talking Heads fame, Byrne’s lonesome, almost ghostly vocals create the perfect counterbalance to the echoing, ambient guitars and backing track. His storytelling bleeds into the overall sound and appreciation of the track. Never has singing the term “Happy Birthday” seemed so unwanted.

At over six minutes long, the single does border on the lengthy side. Maybe an offshoot of the band’s relevant inexperience and green behind the ears. But these are semantics that can be overlooked when it comes to the overall product of the single. Enjoyable and a nice addition to what has been an already excellent season of Scottish indie.